Wednesday, July 13, 2016

L'Arcade Café

After sorting out paperwork with the French administration, an Australian friend and I headed to a L'Arcade Café in the central square of Saint Germain-en-laye for lunch. Although I had recommended some other places without a view, I did the touristy thing because she was so keen on sitting out on a terrace looking out into the center of town, hoping that it would be better than the other cafes in the same square. The dark clouds sprinkled a bit of drizzle, but the sun also came out intermittently. It was a lunch of many good and bad facets, just like the weather...

Our view of the square was very nice, and even though we had three servers during our 1 hour meal, service was friendly and professional.

A pleasant surprise was the generous serving of smoked salmon appetizer for 14 Euros which includedcrème fraîche and a bit of lemon. The sliced bread on the plate was a bit dry, but had good flavor nonetheless.

My friend ordered the Caesar salad for 14 Euros. The dressing should have had at least a bit of anchovy or garlic, but it tasted very much like plain mayonnaise, and the rest of the salad did nothing to compensate for the lack of punch. Yes, that is balsamic you see drizzled on the salad, and no I have no idea why they would add that to a caesar salad.....

I ordered the filet de bar (sea bass), which came with plain basmati rice (under the rocket greens) and a small salad of rocket and sun dried tomatoes for 17 Euros. The fish was crisp but not overly cooked, and the sauce vierge of olive oil, tomatoes, and shallots was pleasant if a bit bland. The dish was very plain and could have used a spark of acid, or heat, or seasoning, but it was a fine choice for my slightly upset stomach.

We went clothes shopping at the stores after lunch, and stopped by for some fresh fruit and viennoiseries on the way back for our afternoon snack, proving that sometimes the best meals are the ones you put together yourself:)

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About Me

Travel, food, friends & kindness are the joys of life. This is the place where I share the things that make my spirit smile. I do not get paid or fed, or otherwise compensated by any subject in my blog (any comped items are noted), so my reviews are not biased by bribes. I grew up in a restaurant, worked in restaurants, know how to cook & cater, and love to eat, so the posts about food here are all based on my personal taste for fresh, well seasoned, artfully prepared dishes. I have traveled to 20 countries and about 25 states, so I am always finding & sharing travel deals to further my travel adventures and yours. Shopping is my sport, so whenever I find a better price or place to shop, I will share it here. Your opinions are welcome, but ads for other sites or nasty comments are not; you can publish those on your own blog. I welcome feedback, so please leave comments on what I post or write to me at ElaineTravels(at)Gmail. If you would like to make me smile even more, look through my wishlist and surprise me with a gift, or donate to one of my favorite charities.
Je parle Français, alors bonjour à mes amis Francophones.

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Elaine Travels

I've learned the most from my travels around the world to countless cities and 17 countries. Check for reviews of places I've traveled to, eaten in, or visited, from Laguna Beach, CA to Paris, France and all places in between. My favorite place in the world is Motu Tapu (does anyone know where that is?), but that is only SO FAR. As I continue my education and evolve in my experiences you will read about them here. Sometimes it is the food, the culture, the history, or simply the kindness of strangers that has opened my eyes and spirit to how wonderfully connected we all are to each other. This is a place to share all the places, people, and things that bring smiles to a traveler's heart.